High school ELA teacher Amy Bradberry is setting a precedent of high achievement for Virtus Academy English 2 students. Her classes have passed their End-of-Course (EOC) exams with a 100% pass rate for the past two years.
“Teachers of EOC classes spend all summer developing curriculum and all semester stressing about the exams,” Bradberry said. “Receiving the test scores is an intense moment, but knowing that I have grown professionally since my first set of EOC scores gives me a real sense of accomplishment. “
SC Ready EOC assessments measure student performance on South Carolina College-and-Career-Ready Standards in Algebra I, U.S. History and the Constitution, Biology 1, and English 2. EOC scores count 20% in calculating the student’s final grade.
Bradberry’s formula for success is knowing that every student learns differently, being aware of her strengths and weaknesses as an educator and having the administration’s full support.
“While the EOC tests students’ abilities to succeed academically in high school, it’s work ethic that really affects their success,” she said. I’ve never seen a group of students work as hard as they do here at Virtus, and I have never seen so many supportive parents before I started teaching here.”
Bradberry polled her former English 2 students to find out what the 100% pass rate means to them. Many said they gained confidence in their reading and writing skills and trust that she will teach them what they need to be successful for the remainder of high school.
“The biggest impact on EOC scores is the work the students put in and the encouragement they receive at home,” Bradberry added. “Plus, when teachers get a say in the texts we use, amazing things can happen in a classroom.”
